In Which Eve Finds Out
by aqaws321
Summary: When Eve Baird signed up to become a guardian, she didn't realize how attached to her charges she'd become. (aka the time when Eve found out about Ezekiel's less-than-stellar childhood and deals with the consequences of memory spells.)


**An anon over on tumblr asked me to write this, and I enthusiastically said yes. Sorry it took so long, anon, but I hope you enjoy!**

 **This is a sequel to my other _Librarians_ story, _And the Tale of Ezekiel Jones_ , and I would highly recommend reading that one first so you understand what's going on in regards to Ezekiel's backstory in this. **

**Warnings: mentions of child abuse/neglect, but nothing graphic, and nothing sexual**.

* * *

Eve Baird, fearless Guardian of the Librarians and former NATO officer, padded sleepily through the halls of the Library towards the kitchen while wearing a pair of red flannel pajamas a baggy t-shirt. The woman rubbed her eyes tiredly, wondering what had woken her up.

It hadn't been an alarm or a noise, she knew that much. No, she had found herself staring tiredly at the ceiling at two-thirty-seven in the morning with a faint feeling of unease resting in her stomach. After lying in bed for another fifteen minutes and finding herself unable to sleep, Eve had decided to head to the kitchen to eat something, since she was already awake.

Once she reached the kitchen, the blond was surprised to find that she wasn't the only one awake at this ridiculous hour. In fact, sitting at the kitchen table was Ezekiel Jones, thief extraordinaire.

The young man was staring forlornly at the table, his head resting on one hand while the other was engaged in slowly stirring a bowl of cereal that had long since become soggy and disgusting.

Eve's instincts kicked into overdrive. Something was obviously wrong with the youngest member of her team.

The blond casually walked into the kitchen, taking care to make her footsteps loud so that Ezekiel wouldn't be surprised. Still, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a slight flinch from the Australian when the older woman entered the room, and Eve frowned to herself.

Calmly, the former NATO agent filled a kettle with some water and rifled through the cabinets, letting out a soft, "Aha," as she found what she was looking for. In a few moments, the kettle had begun to whistle, and Eve quickly made up two mugs of tea. Turning to the table, where Ezekiel had lifted his gaze from the wood and was now staring at her listlessly, the Guardian set a mug of tea down in front of him and took the other for herself as she sat in the chair across from him.

Ezekiel poked at the mug in front of him with his spoon, moving it an inch or two.

Eve waited a few moments, and, when it became clear that Ezekiel wasn't going to begin the conversation, said, "Everything okay?"

Ezekiel's eyes flitted up to her momentarily, then back down to his cup of tea as he shrugged. Eve said, gently, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Another shrug. _Ah,_ Eve thought. _That's how it is_.

The former agent sat quietly, sipping at her tea and waiting for her companion to be ready to talk. Finally, after another quarter of an hour had passed, he mumbled quietly, "I've been having nightmares."

Eve waited for him to continue, and, after a short time, he did. "Ever since that memory spell that I was hit with, I just-"

He paused, and the blonde suddenly remembered that Jenkins had informed her of the incident, saying only that Ezekiel had been forced to relive his worst memories and that Jake had been dragged along for the ride. Eve had attempted to talk to Ezekiel about the incident, but the younger man had reassured her that he was fine.

Not that she believed him, of course, and, apparently, with good reason. She listened quietly as Ezekiel kept talking. "I can't sleep. I try, but every time I shut my eyes, everything just comes crashing back."

The younger man fell silent. His eyes were firmly fixed on his mug of tea, which was cupped between his hands as he turned it slowly. Eve opened her mouth to talk, but was cut off by her friend. "I had a crappy childhood. I didn't want any of you to know, but Jake found out, and he wasn't mad, and I don't know what to think about that, because I thought he'd want me off the team for sure, and now I have to deal with him being nice, and I'm not used to that and-"

Eve was beginning to become somewhat alarmed by her charge, as he seemed to be working himself into a state of panic. She rested a hand on his arm, her gut clenching as he flinched away from her warm grip before realizing it was only Eve. The blond said quietly, "Ezekiel, hey, calm down. It's okay."

Ezekiel lapsed into silence, staring at her with eyes blown wide with- panic? Fear? Eve wasn't sure she wanted to know.

The Guardian continued. "Whatever happened in your past, that doesn't matter to us now. We won't think any less of you if you choose to tell us, and we won't be mad if you decide not to tell us. It's okay."

Ezekiel transferred his gaze back to the table, tracing invisible patterns on the wood for a moment before he began to talk again. "My dad made me steal if I wanted to eat, and when I didn't steal enough, he would- he'd get mad. My mom left me- well, she left my dad, really, but she didn't even look at me before she walked out- and then I got the invitation from the Library the same day, and-" Ezekiel stopped abruptly, but Eve felt her shoulders tense as she filled in the blanks.

Ezekiel collected himself a moment before continuing. "I made it to England after a few years. I was pretty happy there for a stretch, you know. I was living on the streets and stealing to survive, but I was free.

"And then MI6 found me. They picked me up and got me to steal stuff for them, and my handler- I thought he was the best person in the world." There was a bitterness in Ezekiel's tone that told Eve all she needed to know about the kid's handler's real character. The blond clamped down on her anger as Ezekiel went on with his story.

"After they were done with me, they threw me out. Threw me away just like everyone else in my life did. Does." And oh, that made Eve's heart begin to break, because Ezekiel Jones, the one that exasperated her and made her laugh and comforted her when she was sad and offered to threaten Flynn if he left without telling her again and caused her endless worry, should never feel this way.

Ezekiel finished his story quietly, still keeping his head ducked and his shoulders hunched. "And so I just kind of drifted until Flynn came for me, and here I am."

Eve sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose and pretending she didn't realize that the kid in front of her was looking up at her through his eyelashes with a worried expression plastered to his face. And that was what he was, Eve realized suddenly. A kid. The Australian was barely out of his teens, and that had never been more evident than now.

Ezekiel had let his gaze drop from Eve, his walls already beginning to go up once again.

Eve wasn't about to stand for that. She said quietly, fiercely, "Ezekiel, look me."

Reluctantly, he did so. "Good. Now, those people that were in your life before? Forget them. They didn't care about you, they used you, and they didn't deserve you. They made you feel unwanted, and Ezekiel, we want you."

The younger man's eyes had begun to show something- perhaps a bit of hope? Eve pushed on. "No matter what, we'll always want you. You could- I don't know, refuse to use your talents ever again, and we'd still want you around. You are an amazing person, and don't ever let anyone take that away from you, okay?"

Ezekiel stared at her, obviously unsure of what to feel. "No matter what?"

Eve nodded firmly. "No matter what. Even if you lose something from Stone's art collection, I won't let him kick you out."

Ezekiel let out a shaky laugh as he quickly swiped at his eyes with his wrist. Eve made a decision, stood from her chair, and pulled her companion out of his seat as well. Then, before he could react, she pulled him into a hug.

Ezekiel was stiff at first, but slowly melted into her, burying his face in her shoulder. Eve held him close, feeling, for the first time since the night had begun, that things were going to work out.

They were going to be alright.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed, and let me know what you thought!**


End file.
